Improvement in time-markers for billiard-tables



B. ELMSLEY.

Time-Markers for Billiard-Tables.

N0.]56,4l5, Patented N0v. 3,1874.

Jim znfar v. ii/44 UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIoE.

REMIGIUS ELMSLEY, OF TORONTO, CANADA.

IMPROVEMENT IN TIME-MARKERS FOR BlLLlARD-TABLES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 156,415, dated November 3, 1874; application filed January 28, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, REMIGIUS ELMsLEY, of the city of Toronto, Province of Ontario, Canada, have invented a Time-Marker for Billiard-Tables, of which the following is a specification:

The object of my invention is to keep a correct tally of the time occupied in playing games upon billiard-tables, or on tables for games of a similar nature.

It is also constructed in such a way that it is impossible to use the balls on the table without a tally being kept of the time occupied in playing.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of an ordinary billiardtable to which my game-register is shown as attached. Fig. 2 is a detail view of the mechanism employed to stop and start the timepiece. Fig. 3 is a detail of the latch-lever E with dog F. (Seen in Fig. 2.)

A is the body of the billiard-table, A being the playing-face. B is the gasalier, hung in the ordinary way above the table. O is a cross lying on the surface of the table, made of gas-tube, or any other suitable material, two of the arms of which are made longer than the others to correspond with the shape of the table. Rising from the center of the cross 0 is the stem O, which reaches and enters the bottom of the gasalier. c are ornaments put on O. The suspension-rod B is made hollow, and contains within its outer casing two tubes, one for the gas leading to the burners; the other, B is fitted to receive the stem 0 which slides up and down within it, with enough of friction between it and the tube B to hold it at any place without slipping.

It is not necessary that the two tubes should be provided as described above, as one tube with guides would be sufficient for both gas and stem or a sliding tube could be fastened outside of B to receive the stem O In the angle formed by the arm O and the rod 13 is fastened the time-piece D, which, in the present instance, is shown as an ordinary lever-escapement clock, which is wound up in the usual way. In the frame of the clock, in the side next B, is pivoted the lever-latch E,

one end of which projects a short distance into the sliding tube B the other and longer end entering the clock. To this end is attached a dog, F, bent as shown, and the end f fitting into a notch out into the lever-tail of the clock-lever Gr. 0 is the pivot 0 the metal frame for same. H is a spiral spring, fast ened at one end to the frame of clock, and at the other to the long arm of the lever E, the strain of the spring always pulling the dog F in an upward direction, and invariably into the notch cut in the lever-tail of the lever Gr- To describe the operation of my register, we will presume that the clock has been wound up. While the dog F is caught in the notch cut in G the clock cannot go, and while the cross-bars of 0 lie on the table, as shown, the players cannot play. The end of the stem 0 is so adjusted that when the cross O lies on the table, the end is just below the latch E. When the cross-bars on O are shoved up out of the way at the beginning of the game, the end of the stem 0 must strike the lever E, throwing the short arm up out of its way, and causing the long arm to lower, and with it the dog F, releasing the lever G and allowing the clock to run. A note is taken of the time indicated on the face of the clock before 0 was raised. After the game is through, the cross O is lowered on the table, and the spring H snaps the dog F into the notch, again stopping the clock.

The advantages of my invention are, that not only is a correct record kept of the time occupied in playing, but that no game can be played on the table without tallying, avoiding all dispute that so often occurs between the player and marker.

I claim as my invention- The time-piece D, sliding stem O latch-lever or trip for putting the said time-piece in motion or checking the same, and cross-bars O, relatively arranged and suspended over the table A, substantially as described, and for the purposes set forth.

REM. ELMSLEY. Witnesses:

GEo. A. AIRD, HUGH AIRD. 

